COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION The festive season just wouldn’t be the same without this speciality beer whose arrival is always long-awaited. The tradition of Christmas beers is particular to northern Europe. In the years following the Second World War, the breweries used to sell an original, richer and stronger beer at the same price as year-round beers: this was their gift to their customers. The Duycks have perpetuated this custom by creating a special beer sold at the usual price. Produced with more malt than Jenlain Ambrée (3 different types of malt made from French grown barley and 3 varieties of the most aromatic hops from Alsace), this top fermented, unpasteurized beer, best served at between 6 and 8°C, has a rich amber glow, a denser head and stronger alcohol content (6.8% alcohol by volume). Darker than the traditional amber beer, its torrefied undertones are reminiscent of flowers and caramel. And the 2002 Christmas beer had a hint of orange.

Bottle from Super Saver. Ruby/dark copper pour with 2-finger off-white head. Aroma of caramel malts, figs, cinnamon, nutmeg. The flavor is sweet and caramel malty up front, with emerging cinnamon, figs, and cacao beans. It gets sweeter and spicier as it warms, and is a good representation of this style.

just a very good balanced taste profile beverage that worked for my friend and I for supper. Orange taste was apparent and not over the top. A nice biere de garde, moderated spicey taste overall , some citrus, not too bitter nor sweet perhaps it was aged some.

From a caged corked green 750 ml. bottle, H-5 on the cork, but I have no idea if that is a lot/batch number, sampled at a cooler cellar temperature in a chalice.
Poured a cloudy reddish orangey brown with a fluffy, foamy head that settled into a thin bubbly lacing.
Aromas of toasted grain, candied sugar and orange, a light musty herbal and a soft spiciness.
Good carbonation and a crisp, velvety smooth light-medium bodied mouthfeel.
Pleasant seasonal taste, toasted grains and candied sugar, a light caramel, a soft musty, herbal flavor along with a little clove, orange peel, some spiciness, a flash of alcohol towards the end, and a dry yeasty, malty finish.
A nice and balanced seasonal ale from Jenlain, well worth trying.

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Tulip.
Appearance: Rich, clear reddish-copper with small, bubbly, off-white head that doesn’t leave much behind.
Aroma: Dry fruit and caramel malts balanced by pretty strong hop spiciness. Slight Belgian-like yeast noticeable.
Taste: Very fruity and malty (plum, banana, caramel, candied sugar) but also very spicy, with metallic bitterness, clove and pepper notes. Almost tastes like a mixture of Belgian, English and German styles. Somewhat strange but still tasty.
Palate: Relatively high carbonation, medium body, off-dry finish.
Overall: Interesting beer overall even if I can’t really place it, as Biere de Garde doesn’t seem to mean much here.

0.75l bottle from jaghana - cheers! Brown colour, large beige head. Vinous aroma with herbs and roasetd malts, also fresh peaches in the aroma. Interesting combination of sweet and malty flavours/caramel, vinous character and a shy touch of fruit (peach, red grapes). Smooth palate. Very nice indeed, I enjoyed it very much.

color is rusted deep red. Aroma reminded me of kids medacine with the yeast, light sweetness and odd fruit mix of grape and pit fruit. Taste was robust malt but a little different. Good experience to have but not amazeing.

Bottle was corked and caged. Large sized ivory head that was mostly lasting, fine-medium sized bubbles, good lacing, carbonated, transparent, and a reddish brown hue. Aroma was malty, caramel and sweet. Flavor was sweet, lightly bitter, malty, and caramel. Mouthfeel was smooth and thin. Light-medium body.

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